


raise that bird up high

by laurel_crown



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 04:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurel_crown/pseuds/laurel_crown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Diaval explores a new realm with Maleficent, and gets more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	raise that bird up high

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Destina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destina/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, Destina! I never got round to writing a Maleficent fic last year, and I'm so glad I got to do it this year! Your prompt echoed my love for Maleficent and Diaval's dynamic exactly. Title is from MKTO's Thank You (a song just as snarky as Diaval!)

“Let’s go explore the border mountains, Diaval,” Diaval muttered, blocking the goblin-creature’s blow with Maleficent’s staff. “Let’s go really deep, where no Moor fairy has ever been before, and stir up the locals. No, I need you with me, I really do!”

“Shut up,” Maleficent snapped, carefully knocking goblin heads together with green fire. “You wanted to come.”

“Mountains, yes!” Diaval leapt backwards and nearly slipped on the uneven rock. “Creepy caves I can’t fly in, no!”

Maleficent pulled the last goblin towards her before Diaval could take another swing, and told it to sleep. “You can creep through them as a mealy-worm if it upsets you that much,” she said, the curl of her mouth belying the sharp tone. Then she sighed, looking around at all the unconscious goblins. “I was hoping the locals would be willing to talk, so we could pass on Aurora’s message. Or at least avoid us, if they weren’t feeling friendly.”

“Seems these ones take the human view – if it looks wrong, it’s a threat.” Diaval snorted. “I told you this wouldn’t go well.”

“The Queen sees the best in everyone, Diaval,” said Maleficent softly. “We’re going to honour her wishes.”

A memory of Aurora’s sunny smile popped into his head, banishing any further remarks. Diaval wordlessly gave Maleficent her staff back, ignoring the smirk as she turned away. Ending an argument by mentioning Aurora was _cheating_ , and she knew it.

He followed as Maleficent went deeper into the mountain, hunching his shoulders against the nagging weight of the earth above. He was a creature of the _sky_ , damn it – they both were. But they’d flown around the slopes and seen nothing, so then Maleficent decided that the locals might be underground.

She was right, of course. No surprises there.

Diaval came out of his reverie when he ran into Maleficent’s wings. Stumbling back, he realised they had come to a cavern, lit by her magic. And all around them – yes, behind them too – were an awful lot of goblins.

He backed up until they stood shoulder to shoulder, not taking his eyes off the goblins. “Your move.”

“We come in peace,” Maleficent called. “Queen Aurora of the Moors and Kingdom extends her hand in friendship to the folk of the mountains.”

The goblins looked at each other, and for a heartbeat Diaval thought that might have done the trick. But then the goblins seemed to make a decision, and started yelling and brandishing various spiky weapons at them. 

“Good try,” said Diaval, glancing at Maleficent. He knew that look on her face – she really, really didn’t want to kill anybody, but couldn’t see any other way out of this. He hated it. If he could just take the burden off her, somehow, she – oh. Oh _yes_.

“Turn me into a dragon again!”

“What?” Maleficent stared at him. “I thought you didn’t want me–”

“Just do it!” he shouted, stepping back.

She sighed and twirled her fingers at him, eyes sparkling golden like the best trinket-hoard a raven could wish for. And then he was changing, growing as big and powerful as he liked to think he was, inside. He’d believed he was that strong on the outside, too – before the man caught him with the trap-vines, the net, and pinned him to the earth. Before Maleficent strolled into his life and changed it forever, inexorable as a summer storm. 

Diaval reared up – it took a while, with this neck – and breathed fire at the startled goblins. They scattered instantly, and he broke off the flames to roar at their fleeing backs. He’d forgotten how it felt, the way the sound rumbled through his massive chest like an earthquake. In less than a minute, all the goblins had vanished.

Diaval spread his strange wings and roared once more in triumph, just to hear the echo of it. He was invincible, giddy with joy – this feeling was _fierce_ , it was _mate-protection_. Defence of the other-that-was-self, the one who made him whole. 

Then, just as he’d puffed up all his feathers, mental and physical, there was an answering bellow. Diaval folded his wings and cocked his head, listening. Whatever had made that sound was approaching fast, and it was _angry_. He looked down at Maleficent – so very small, from this body, it was disconcerting – but she seemed as uncertain as he.

A blast of hot air came out of the tunnel ahead – a metallic heat like human furnaces, reeking of defiance – and then another dragon thundered into the cavern. A real, maroon-scaled, copper-horned dragon that was at least twice Diaval’s size.

Diaval froze. Oh _shit_. 

The dragon ignored Maleficent, who was waving green flames around to no apparent effect, fixed its ruby eyes on Diaval and hissed. Diaval flinched at the sound, and suddenly knew this was a male, defending his territory from a rival. Which meant that he, the supposed challenger, was in big trouble. 

Diaval shrank backwards hastily, wondering what on earth dragons did for submission signals. Should he lower his head? Do something with this ridiculously long tail? The best way to stop challenging, of course, required Maleficent to notice his retreat and change him back. Now. Soon? Anytime, really, it wasn’t like he was about to be _roasted alive–_

The dragon roared again, and Diaval would have lost his footing if the air hadn’t turned solid with the huge vibrating _force_ of it. And then he was human again, curled up on the ground covering his head, with no idea of how he got there.

He looked up, straight into the dragon’s eyes – now even bigger, Great Mother, why did he let Maleficent talk him into these things? – and thought they seemed more bemused than angry. Diaval took this as a very good sign, but turned into a raven anyway and flapped up to Maleficent’s shoulder. Just to give her some moral support while she sorted out the dragon.

“We did not come here to take your land,” Maleficent called. “We bring an offer of peaceful alliance from the human Queen of the Moors. Please forgive our intrusion, great one.”

Diaval held his breath – a silly human habit he’d picked up – while the dragon considered this. If it was thinking at all. How could they know if it understood speech? The other creatures of the Moors all understood Maleficent, but had their own languages as well …

The dragon settled down, bending its neck so it could rest its head just in front of them. _A fairy from the Moors,_ it said, the words somehow forming in Diaval’s mind without passing through his ears. _I have not seen one of your folk for centuries._ The red eyes shifted to Diaval, making him shuffle his wings nervously. _I have not seen your like before, shape-changer. Is this your true form, then?_

“His original form, yes,” Maleficent answered for him. “I have changed it so often these last years that he is now unaccustomed to one shape.”

 _So you bestowed the gift of changing form for himself,_ the dragon concluded. It was hard to tell, but he sounded approving.

“Just between raven and human.” Maleficent glanced at Diaval, a quick flick of her water-green eyes. “I hope I didn’t offend you, turning him into a bird-dragon. We were surrounded – and he did ask for it.”

Diaval pecked her ear lightly in revenge. He’d been longing to try the dragon-shape again, maybe go flying with Maleficent, but hadn’t found a good time to ask her to break their new Diaval-only-changes-himself pact. She didn’t have to spoil it further by apologising to the _real_ dragon that had turned up to ruin the fun.

The dragon was now watching him so closely Diaval abruptly wondered if he could read his thoughts. He hoped not. His clever beak got him into enough brawls already.

 _I am not offended._ Oh, there was definitely amusement in that strange mind-voice. _Indeed, I hope_ you _will forgive my aggression, peace-messengers,_ the dragon added. _It is mate-searching time, so when I heard another male calling in my mountain …_

“I understand,” said Maleficent quickly. Diaval clacked his beak at her, mocking her discomfort, and was rewarded with a scowl.

 _You said your queen is a human?_ the dragon asked, with an air of exaggerated patience.

“Yes.” Maleficent smiled at the thought of Aurora, a slow softening of her expression that made Diaval want to preen her hair. “She is Queen of the human kingdom by birthright, and I – everyone, really – named her Queen of the Moors as well. She is like a daughter to me,” she finished quietly, almost shyly.

Diaval nibbled her ear, and she stroked his back. “To us,” she corrected herself. 

_Then I will certainly accept her offer of peace, Moor fairy, raven-man._ The dragon puffed smoke at them in a friendly way, before getting to his feet. _I must get back to my den._

Maleficent blinked. “Ah … thank you for accepting, great one,” she said.

The dragon lowered his head so his eyes were level with theirs. _My true name is rather long, but you may call me Sanl._

Maleficent bowed, dislodging Diaval so he had to flap away, squawking his affront. “I am Maleficent, and my companion is Diaval.” She smiled again as Diaval landed on her staff. “And our queen is Aurora.”

 _These are good names,_ said Sanl. The dragon raised his head and began to turn away, then paused. _We dragons are solitary creatures, so my acceptance does not extend to my kin. However, I do not recommend you seek any more of us at the moment. Given the season, it is unlikely they will be in the mood to listen._

Maleficent nodded. “Thank you for your advice, Sanl.”

They watched the dragon leave, and as soon as his scaly tail was out of sight Diaval took off again. He headed straight for the tunnel they’d come through and wheeled above it, cawing impatiently for his light source to catch up.

Maleficent raised her eyebrows at his summons, and walked over with maddening slowness. But she must have been as eager as he to get outside, for she set a reasonable pace through the tunnels. At last they reached the open air, and Diaval jumped from her staff to the ground, landing smoothly in human form. It had taken him days of practice, out of her sight, before he could land perfectly each time.

“What now?” he asked. “You heard the dragon – no more sneaking through mountains.” Diaval didn’t bother to keep the relief from his tone.

Maleficent replied by raised her staff, lighting the end in a golden beacon to call back the messenger birds they’d left outside. “First we tell Aurora about her new ally Sanl,” she said finally, scorching words onto a ribbon with her fingertip before tying it to a pigeon’s leg. 

Diaval felt a tiny sting inside, like a plucked feather, as she kissed the bird’s head and sent it off. Then he told himself not to be a fool. He was a _raven_ , of course he wasn’t jealous of a dumb pigeon-messenger. “And then?”

Maleficent turned to Diaval, wearing the feral grin that sent his heart beating faster. “Race you to the next peak.” She took off in a single sweep of her lovely brown wings, leaving Diaval to laugh and launch himself after her. 

Onward, then. As long as she flew beside him, Diaval was content with that.


End file.
